Empire Side Tables
From 1804–15, Napoléon I reigned as the emperor of France, bringing the country into a new era of opulence after the fall of the monarchy and the tumultuous years of the French Revolution. He declared, “We must have very solid things, made to last 100 years.” Empire-style furniture followed suit, with imposing pieces constructed from mahogany and adorned with gilded ornaments. Expanding on the neoclassicism popularized in the previous century — such as in Louis XVI style — Empire style borrowed from the great civilizations of antiquity, from Egypt to Greece and Rome, to connect this nascent empire to the power of the past.
Napoléon I believed the production of fine furniture would reflect the stature of the republic, with his official architects Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine leading the way with their work on his residences.
Luxurious materials, symmetrical shapes and bold colors characterize antique Empire-style bedroom furniture, armchairs, cabinets and other structures, with frequent motifs including mythological creatures, geometric designs, acanthus leaves, eagles, bees (the imperial emblem) and swans, a favorite of Empress Joséphine. Flat surfaces, like marble tabletops, were accented with decadent details, such as the bronze furniture mounts made by sculptor Pierre-Philippe Thomire for the French palaces. Martin-Guillaume Biennais, who worked as the imperial goldsmith, crafted intricate luxury objects that mixed wood, fine metal, mother-of-pearl and ivory.
The style became popular abroad, influencing the American Empire style. Stately pieces carved with sprigs of olives by cabinetmaker Pierre-Antoine Bellange were acquired by American President James Monroe for the White House in 1817.
Find a collection of antique Empire tables, lighting, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Mid-20th Century French Empire Side Tables
Marble
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Side Tables
Birch
Late 20th Century American Empire Side Tables
Mahogany, Satinwood
1820s French Antique Empire Side Tables
Brass
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Side Tables
Birch
Early 20th Century French Empire Side Tables
Marble, Bronze
1920s Vintage Empire Side Tables
Kingwood
Late 18th Century European Antique Empire Side Tables
Wood
Early 1800s Italian Antique Empire Side Tables
Cherry
19th Century French Antique Empire Side Tables
Marble, Brass
Early 20th Century French Empire Side Tables
Marble, Brass
Mid-18th Century French Antique Empire Side Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary European Empire Side Tables
Iron
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Side Tables
Ormolu
1930s French Vintage Empire Side Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century Empire Side Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary European Empire Side Tables
Iron
19th Century French Antique Empire Side Tables
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Side Tables
Bronze
Late 20th Century American Empire Side Tables
Marble
20th Century Empire Side Tables
Wicker, Wood
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Side Tables
Birch
Mid-20th Century Empire Side Tables
Marble
1820s Italian Antique Empire Side Tables
Giltwood, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Empire Side Tables
Marble, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Side Tables
Bronze
1970s Vintage Empire Side Tables
Cherry, Walnut
Late 20th Century North American Empire Side Tables
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Side Tables
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Side Tables
Stone, Marble, Metal, Brass
Late 20th Century American Empire Side Tables
Brass
Early 19th Century Antique Empire Side Tables
Walnut
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Side Tables
Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century North American Empire Side Tables
Mahogany
1810s German Antique Empire Side Tables
Wood
20th Century French Empire Side Tables
Wood
1960s American Vintage Empire Side Tables
Cherry, Satinwood, Burl
19th Century French Antique Empire Side Tables
Marble, Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Side Tables
Marble, Ormolu
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Side Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Empire Side Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Empire Side Tables
Brass
19th Century Antique Empire Side Tables
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Empire Side Tables
Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Side Tables
Marble
Late 20th Century American Empire Side Tables
Mahogany, Giltwood
18th Century British Antique Empire Side Tables
Mahogany, Paint
19th Century French Antique Empire Side Tables
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Empire Side Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century American Empire Side Tables
Brass
20th Century Empire Side Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century French Empire Side Tables
Marble, Bronze
1950s Italian Vintage Empire Side Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Empire Side Tables
Marble
20th Century Italian Empire Side Tables
Maple, Burl
20th Century Empire Side Tables
Metal
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Side Tables
Brass
1920s German Vintage Empire Side Tables
Walnut